Yard post



C. E. RENSHAW AND E. C. HEALY.

YARD POST.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8,19I9.

1,407,317, Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

- I I I Z4 y I 8 rzvenforzzd y flwLAiz'or/ zeyy C. E. RENSHAW AND E. C. HEALY.

YARD POST.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 8,1919. 1 ,407,817, Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

79 19 i y- E y 5 77 am 8 W 8 5M 0. li b flui jliiorrzeys CHARLES E. RENSHAW' All? EL- on a.

ASSIGNORS TO NEVTEE:

PGBATIOI-T 033 NEW YC Application filed April 8,

T all whom it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLES limi- SHAW and Emma C. HEALY, both citizens or the United States, residing East Orange in the county of Essex and State oi: New Jersey, have invented certain new and use i'ul Improvements in Yard Posts of which the following is a full, clear and exact description.

The invention which constitutes the sul ject-matter of this application has to do with mechanism adapted to be connected to a valve for controlling the access to a record-- ing key. That is to say, when the valveis in its normal position access may be had to recording key but if the valve is not in its normal position the key is rendered inaccessible. As these valves (or stations) are equipped with a key a time imprint may be made on a record dial of a watchmans clock which indicates the time at which tl e station was visited by the watchman. So long as these imprints are made at the required intervals, as shown by the record dial, it is a sure indication that the valves at these particular times were in normal position. But if the imprint of a certain station is omitted from the record dial it would be an equally sure indication that the key at that station was inaccessible and therefore that valve was not in normal condition. Of course, if it is a part of the watclnnans duty to move the valve from its abnormal. to its normal position he could then make the imprint. In any event, the device will have served its purpose.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partly sectional view of the upper portion of an indicator post or yard valve equipped with supervisory mechanism, the receptacle thereof being in section.

' Fig. 2 is a section, through the receptacle containing supervisory mechanism taken at right angles to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through that portion of the yard post containing the target. 7

Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 illustrating a slightly modified construction.

The supervisory mechanism herein illustrated, described and claimed is designed to be employed in connection with an indicator post or yard valve which controls a sprin kler system located in an adjacent buildi new Jnnsn 1v. a con .Iatented Feb. 28, 1922.

Serial ITo. 288,591.

l s p. vice. bupenmposed upon the upper secaliull ll is a cap 13 secured to the section 11 t 7 s l the screw-threaded ends of which engae fiiClelltliltffifli tapping in the upper section iioiataoiy mount d within the cap 13 "ltucinal movement by means of the lock 6 under the cap and the shoulder 16 mountwrench member 1? having a rectangular Q1 4 V- 7 n secret in the lower side tnereoi en eing with corresponding member 18, which proects upwardly from the target screw 15.

ment with the outwardly projecting member 18 by means of a sc ew 19 passing ment with said member 18. of the tar angular socket which engages with the upi e" end portion of the valve stem which we by means of bolt 1- c with corresponding 5 get screw which is held from lonabove the cap. There is provided a F i "I ihe wrench member 17 is held in engagethrough the wrench member 17 into engage- W screw is provided with a recave designated by the reference numeral 20. 'ihe lower end of this valve stem 20 is illZGW'lS'S provided wlth a socket member 21 waich engages with the upper end of correspondingly sha aed member 22 constituting part or the vauve 23. In screw-threaded engagement with the target screw 15 is a larget The target is provided with one grooves 25 in the side thereof which t. the lugs or flanges 26 on the casting 'ihe target may be moved longitudinally by turning the target screw, but is prevented from rotating about its axis by the grooves 25 and lugs 26. The target screw is provided with a bearing 27 upon which is pivoted or journaled a rod 28.

:cept for the provision of the bearing 27 and the rod 28 in the shape of a turn-buckle, all of the mechanism above described is oi? conventional form and we make no claim thereto except as it forms or constitutes a' The lower end.

through a slot 30 in the casting 11 and also slot 31 in the container 32, which containcr is rigidly secured to the casting 11. This stud passing, as it does, into the interior of the receptacle or container 32 engages with the vertically movable slide.

member which is provided with a lug 84 thereon which is adapted to engage with the arm 35 or a bell crank lever and is adapted to move said lever about its pivot 36. The other arm 37 of the bell crank lever is connected at 38 to a flexible member 39 upon the other end of which is provided a watchmans key 40. This flexible member 39 is concealed within a tubular member 41, the end of which is provided with an outwardly flaring 'iortion so that when the watchmans key is moved inwardly "rom the position shown in Fig. 1, it is rendered inaccessible. And it may be stated in passing that slide member is held in its movable position by means of the guides 43.

Reierrug to the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 5, it will be noted that the bell crank lever 37 is pivotally connected to one end oi a link 4A, the other end of which is pivoted to a relatively short arm 4-5 fixed upon a rotatable shaft 4:6. This shaft is further provided with an arm 47 to the outer end of which akey chain 48 is attached, the-lower end of said key chain being provided with a watchmans key 49. From the foregong it will be seen that when the vertically slidable member 33 is moved upwardly it cams the bell crank lever 3537 around its pivotal point 36, moving the link 44 upwardly, which, in turn, imparts a clockwise movement through the arm 15 and the shaft 46 to the arm 47. This causes the outer end of arm at? to which the key chain is attached to be moved upwardly thereby drawing the key into the receptacle to prevent its use when the parts are in the dotted line positions illustrated in Fig. 5. V

The receptacle 32 is secured to the section 11 of the indicator post by means of suitable screws 50 entering bosses 51 from the inte rior of said receptacle. The receptacle is provided with a removable partition 52 and a removable cover 53, the latter being normally under lock and key. The partition 52 divides the receptacle into two compartments as and 55 in the former of which the key 40 is adapted to be connected. to the arm 37 asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and in the latter of which the key 49 is adapted to be connected to the arm 4J7. Suitable bearings are provided in the partition, front cover and back plate of the receptacle for the shafts 36 and 46.

The operation of. the device will be clearly understood from the above description, but it may be remarked that with the form of the bell crank lever 35-37 coupled with its relationship to the slide 33 a slight movement imparted to the valve stem will have a multiplying effect upon the movement of the key. Furthermore, this movement only continues for the first few revolutions of the valve stem; that is to say, until the arm 35 is substantially in vertical position as this position of the arm enables the stud 34: to continue its movement without effecting in any perceptible way the movement of the said arm 35.

It will be noted that the housing 32 carries a pair of pins which extend into the slot 30, thereby forming a means for correctly positioning the mechanism within said housing with respect to the operating mechanism 29 etc.

hat we claim is 1. A yard valve provided with a stem, a target mounted upon said stem and adapted to move rectilinearly when the latter is rotated, in combination with recording instrumentalities connected to said target normally accessible for making a record, and means for rendering said instrumentalitics inaccessible when a few revolutions are imparted to said stem to move the valve from normal position.

11 yard valve provided with a stem, a target mo mlile longitudinally of said stem when the latter is rotated, a casing surrounding said stem and target, supervisory mechanism connected to the outside of said casing, and. meansconnected to said target and to said mechanism for actuating the latter when the stem is moved from normal position.

3. A supervisory mechanism for valves comprising in combination, a yard valve provided with a stem, a stationary casing surrounding said stem, a housing secured to the exterior of said casing, a watchmans key, and means controlled by said stem and comprising an element extending from the interior of said easing into said housin for moving said key to an inaccessible position.

a. A supervisory mechanism for valves comprising in combination, a yard valve provided with a stem, a. stationary casing surrounding said stem, :1 housing secured to the exterior of said casing, a rectilinearly slidable member mounted within said housing. means connecting said stem and member whereby movement of the former causes movement of the latter, a manually operable recording device, and means controlled by said member for controlling the operativeness of said device. 7

A supervisory mechanism for valves comprising in combination, a yard valve provided with a stem, a stationary casing surrounding said stem, a housing secured to the exterior of said casing, an element within said casing and connected to said stem to be moved rectilinearly on movement of said stem, a rectilinearly slidable member mounted within said housing, means for transmitting movement of said element to said member, a manually operable recording device, and means controlled by said member "for controlling theoperativeness of said device.

6. A supervisory mechanism for valves comprising in combination, a valve provided with a rotatable stem, a nut cooperating with said stem and constrained against rotation, a rectilinearly movable member connected to said nut to be operated thereby, a pivoted arm operable by movement of said member, and a watchmans key connected to said arm.

7. A supervisory mechanism for valves comprising in combination, a. valve provided with a rotatable stem, a nut cooperating with said stem and constrained against rotation, a casing surrounding said stem and nut, a housing secured to the exterior of said casing, a member mounted for rectilinear movement within said housing, means connecting said nut and member whereby actuation of said nut causes actuation of said member, an arm pivotally mounted within said housing, and a watchmans key controlled by said arm.

8. A supervisory system for valves comprising in combination, a valve provided with a stem, a casing surrounding said stem and provided with a slot, a housing secured to the exterior of said casing, manually operable recording means, mechanism within said housing for controlling the operative ness of said means, means operatively connected to said stem and mechanism and extending through said slot, and means carried by said housing and extending into said slot for correctly positioning said mechanism with respect to its operating means.

9. A supervisory mechanism as defined in claim 3 in which the casing and housing are provided with cooperating means for correctly positioning the mechanism within the housing with respect to its operating means.

10. A supervisory mechanism as defined in claim 4 in which the casing and housing are provided with cooperating means for correctly positioning the mechanism within the housing with respect to its operating means.

11. A supervisory mechanism as defined in claim 5 in which the casing and housing are provided with cooperating means for correctly positioning the mechanism within the housingwith respect to its operating means.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

CHARLES E. RENSHAW. ELLIS C.- HEALY. 

